Makes: 4 servings
Time: 30 minutes with cooked oatmeal
Leftover oatmeal gives these pancakes body and plenty of moisture. Anything that you would add to oatmeal, feel free to add here: ½ cup or so of chopped nuts, a bit of warm spices, dried or fresh fruit. You get a filling—and far from boring—pancake.
1. Combine the flours, oats, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg and milk; stir in the cooked oatmeal and the fruit until just incorporated. Add the oatmeal mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. The batter should be thick but still spreadable; add a little more milk as needed.
2. Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. When a couple drops of water skid across the surface of the pan before evaporating, it’s hot enough. Add a bit of butter and oil and let it heat up. Add scoops of batter and spread them into small, not-too-thick cakes with the back of a spoon. Cook until the tops of the cakes dry out a bit and the bottoms are brown and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Carefully flip the pancakes and repeat on the other side. Serve immediately or keep warm on an ovenproof plate in a 200°F oven for 15 minutes.
CINNAMON-RAISIN OATMEAL PANCAKES Like a breakfast-friendly oatmeal cookie: Add 2 tablespoons brown sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon with the rest of the dry ingredients. Use raisins for the fruit.
PEANUT BUTTER OATMEAL GRIDDLE CAKES Any nut butter works here; you can also sprinkle chopped toasted nuts on the pancakes as they cook: Whisk ⅓ cup peanut butter into the beaten eggs and milk.
RICE PANCAKES Creamy and lightly sweet, these might remind you of rice pudding: Omit the rolled oats and whole wheat flour and increase the all-purpose flour to ⅔ cup; start with ½ cup milk. Instead of oatmeal, use overcooked rice; you want it to be porridgelike. If you like, add 1 teaspoon vanilla to the batter.